MELANIN BASE CAMP

Then SNAP funds were frozen. While many leftists and liberals joked online about MAGA voters getting what they deserved, things got scary for the nearly 42 million Americans who depend on SNAP to put food on the table. So why would I celebrate cuts to a program that is a lifeline for so many people?

Building a home gym is a monumental task! Once the climbing wall is built, you’d think the biggest hurdle is over. But a safe landing area is just as important, and can be just as overwhelming. There are many options for foam and foam coverings, making it difficult to know which is right for a climbing wall. I spent weeks reading about foam, cold-calling foam companies, and driving around to different fabric stores learning about vinyl coverings. Here is my journey of building a safe landing!

I can either enjoy my life doing what I love, or sit at home worried about getting assaulted or worse. I choose to take common sense precautions, trust my gut, and hope for the best. But that doesn’t mean I’m never afraid. 

The climbing stories you hear at base camp or around a campfire just might save your life. That’s why it matters who gets to tell stories of danger, joy, and survival. Too often the loudest voices don’t look like us. But for Sachi Koide, Sof Petros, and Theresa Silveyra—three accomplished women and genderqueer climbers of color—mountaineering is more than technical knowledge. It’s about community, power and courage.

Working full time with a toddler, five cats and a dog didn’t leave me much time to learn a new skill. So I hired a painter, but when he didn’t show up and the welders were starting in three days. I quickly took a crash course on painting. This is what I learned.

I was recently lucky enough to make my first voyage to one of the top climbing destinations in the world: Fontainebleau—or Font. For most of my climbing career, I’d heard stories about the beautiful sandstone boulders and the flat, sandy landings. I knew I had to experience it for myself one day.

But planning a climbing trip to a foreign country can feel overwhelming and even a little scary, especially if it’s your first time. To help make your experience smoother and more enjoyable, here are some tips I picked up along the way.

Esther Park is on a mission to help women in skydiving fit in–literally. 

She left a comfortable job in scientific sales after a life-changing skydiving accident. Since then, she founded a company, Girls in Sky Places, to help women find correctly-sized gear.